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Adult Services Blog

As a librarian and avid reader, I have been excited to see the number of books about books that have been published over the last few years. It's fascinating to see the variety of topics that authors have found to explore under the broad subject of books and reading. Some of these books fall into the category of "bibliomemoirs", autobiographies in which an author focuses on their own reading lives, while others focus on books through history, the future of reading, or the appreciation of books as physical objects. Read more about New Books about Books!

The biennial Man Booker International Prize is awarded to a living author who has published fiction originally in English, or whose work is “generally”, but not always, available in translation in English. The award recognizes one author for his or her overall achievement in writing fiction on the world stage. The 2015 finalists were announced today, and include authors who come from 10 different countries. The 2015 Man Booker International Prize winner will be announced at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London on 19 May. Read more about Man Booker International Prize 2015 finalists announced

Do you have concerns about the issues that will challenge our twin cities over the next few years? Express your opinions and share your ideas.

The Cities of Urbana and Champaign are working jointly to complete their 2015-2019 Five Year Consolidated Plan. The Consolidated Plan provides a comprehensive assessment of the needs and issues facing the cities for housing, homelessness, poverty, economic, and community development. The Five Year plan identifies goals and strategies for the cities to undertake to achieve desired outcomes for the communities. Read more about Give your opinion on our cities' consolidated plan

"Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has announced that Louise Erdrich, author of such critically acclaimed novels as "Love Medicine," "The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse," "The Plague of Doves" and her current novel, "The Round House," will receive the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction during the 2015 Library of Congress National Book Festival, Sept. 5. Read more about Louise Erdrich wins prize for American Fiction

Why is this important? Folk tales and fables are stories rich with cultural detail that have been passed down through generations, often orally (until someone finally wrote them down). The original teller is often unknown, the tales morphing as they stretch across countries and continents. Read more about World Folk Tales and Fables Week

The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word "documentary" as “factual, realistic, based on real events or circumstances”. The Urbana Free Library has a singular collection of feature documentary films that are informative, humorous, and fascinating.

Among the library’s latest additions are two films that provide a unique international point-of-view.